1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a chute gate attachable to a cattle chute and having animal engaging or clamping members movable to positions for opening or closing the gate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of animal clamping chute gates are known in the art for holding cattle or the like in a stationary position while being medically treated. One example of such a gate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,456, entitled "Chute Gate" and issued Nov. 30, 1971. The gate shown therein has a pair of upright animal engaging members supported on a main frame for simultaneous vertical and lateral movement toward and away from each other within the traverse confines of the main frame. Opening or closing movement of the animal clamping members is accomplished through a manually operated lever system.
The present invention provides a chute gate that has animal clamping members similar to those of the above described gate. However, in addition to being manually operable, the gate of the present invention can be set to automatically close upon being contacted by an animal.